If both attest that it is acceptable, it is accepted; if it contradicts them, it is rejected. If neither of these is known, judgment concerning it is suspended: it is neither affirmed nor denied. This is because inward communications and inspirations may come from the Most Merciful or from Satan. The two must therefore be distinguished and differentiated. Failure to distinguish between them has produced errors and misguidance beyond reckoning by anyone but Allah.
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(122–124) “Is one who was dead and whom We brought to life, and for whom We made a light by which he walks among the people, like one who is in darkness from which he will never emerge? Thus the deeds of the disbelievers have been made alluring to them. Likewise, in every town We placed its leading criminals so that they might scheme therein. Yet they scheme only against themselves, though they do not perceive it. Whenever a sign comes to them, they say, ‘We will never believe until we are given the like of what Allah’s messengers were given.’ Allah knows best where to place His message. Those who committed crimes will be afflicted with humiliation from Allah and a severe punishment because of their scheming.”
Allah says: Is one who, before Allah guided him, “was dead” in the darkness of disbelief, ignorance, and sin, and whom “We brought to life” with the light of knowledge, faith, and obedience—so that he began to walk among the people in the light, discerning in his affairs, guided upon his path, recognizing good, preferring it, and striving to put it into practice in himself and others; and recognizing evil, hating it, and striving to abandon it and remove it from himself and others—equal to one who is in darkness, the darkness of ignorance, error, disbelief, and sin,
“from which he will never emerge”? The paths have become confused for him and the ways darkened before him, leaving him beset by anxiety, anguish, sorrow, and misery. Allah thus calls the attention of reason, through what it perceives and recognizes, to the fact that these two are not equal, just as night and day, light and darkness, and the living and the dead are not equal.
It is as though it were asked: How could anyone possessing even the slightest modicum of reason choose to be in this condition and remain bewildered in darkness? The answer is that “the deeds of the disbelievers have been made alluring to them.” Satan continually made their deeds appear good to them and adorned them in their hearts until they deemed them good and regarded them as true. This became a settled belief in their hearts and a deep-rooted, inseparable trait. They therefore became content with the evil and vile conduct upon which they persisted. Those who wander blindly in darkness and waver in falsehood are not all equal.
Among them are leaders, chiefs, and those who are followed; and among them are subordinate followers. The former are those who have attained the most wretched condition. Thus He says:
“Likewise, in every town We placed its leading criminals,” meaning the chiefs whose crimes had become grave and whose tyranny had grown intense, “so that they might scheme therein” through deception, calling to the path of Satan, and combating the messengers and their followers in word and deed. Yet their schemes and plots rebound only upon themselves, for they scheme and Allah plans, and Allah is the best of planners.
Likewise, Allah raises up the foremost and finest leaders of guidance to contend against these criminals, refute their claims, and strive against them in Allah’s cause. In doing so, they follow the paths that lead to this goal. Allah assists them, guides their judgment aright, makes their feet firm, and causes the days of ascendancy to alternate between them and their enemies, until the final turn of events brings their victory and ascendancy. The ultimate outcome belongs to the God-fearing.
It was only envy and transgression that caused the leading criminals to persist in their falsehood and rise to reject the truth brought by the messengers. They said, “We will never believe until we are given the like of what Allah’s messengers were given”—namely, prophethood and messengership. This was an objection against Allah on their part, together with self-admiration, arrogance toward the truth He revealed through His messengers, and an attempt to restrict Allah’s bounty and beneficence.
Allah refuted their corrupt objection and stated that they were unfit for any good and possessed nothing that would warrant their being among Allah’s righteous servants, much less among the prophets and messengers. He therefore said, “Allah knows best where to place His message”—with one whom He knows to be fit for it and capable of bearing its burdens, one possessed of every noble trait and free from every base trait. Allah grants such a person what His wisdom dictates, both the principal gift and its attendant blessings. As for one who is not so, Allah does not place His finest gifts with someone who is unworthy of them and with whom they would not flourish.
This verse demonstrates the perfection of Allah Most High’s wisdom. Although He is merciful, vast in generosity, and abundant in beneficence, He is Wise and bestows His generosity only where it belongs. He then warned the criminals, saying, “Those who committed crimes will be afflicted with humiliation from Allah,” meaning disgrace and abasement. Because they acted arrogantly toward the truth, Allah abased them, “and a severe punishment because of their scheming”—that is, because of their schemes, not because of any injustice on His part.